On Mongering Doxy
Doxy is one of the many colorful words for prostitute, but the root dox means opinion or belief. Orthodoxy denotes commonly held opinions, for example, while the iconoclast tends to commit heterodoxy. And whether the words be high-tone, low-brow, upscale, or overused, doxymonger seems an appropriate title for a forum designed to pimp out the editorial detritus of the mind.
Anti-Piracy battle reveals dysfunctional thinking
So, last week dealt a few blows to supporters of new anti-piracy legislation, and today, websites around the world, including some biggies, have gone dark in protest of anti-piracy legislation. The guts of SOPA have been eviscerated to the point that Google and others can still profit from piracy; and many legislators and the White House show signs of bowing to public pressure as the contentious election year is upon us and Silicon Valley’s fear campaign has worked its magic — especially on my fellow democrats and artists. If SOPA and PIPA fail, or fail to pass in substantive form, it will indeed be a shame for American content creators and consumers, but the real shame is what this process reveals about the stagnation of governance in general. (read more at The Hill)
Unintelligent by Design
There is nothing intelligent about the so-called Theory of Intelligent Design. The fact that this country continues to squabble over evolution in the early 21st century is embarrassing, but given our fascination with running baboons for public office, it shouldn’t be surprising. While it is tempting (and fun) to simply mock ID proponents, their occasional progress through state legislatures is terrifyingly real, and their strategy is clever. (read more)
Glad Tidings and Misgivings
I’m an atheist from a Jewish family and have celebrated Christmas my entire life. In my childhood home, Hannukkah meant watching my mother search for our menorah for eight days while the Christmas tree gleamed in the living room and I did what any kid would do — eagerly anticipate what loot may appear beneath those sparkling boughs. (read more)
Citizen Journalism – The Burden is on the Reader
Yesterday, I was listening to a discussion with Tom Brokaw broadcast on NPR from The Commonwealth Club. Asked his opinion of news and information in the digital age, the veteran journalist said that he believes the variety of available content is generally a benefit to the world but that the consumer must “apply filters” to the information being delivered. (read more)
Beware “The Man” in Boy’s Clothing
It is no overstatement to say that we live in volatile times bordering on revolutionary. It is only natural, therefore, to revere whatever is new, young, and iconoclastic, particularly when a vanguard of upstart techies provide us with the tools to expand our democratic power to stick it to The Man. (read more)
A Policy of Crap (Part 1)
If you really want to understand why the American economy is in so much trouble, don’t look at the politicians on either side of the aisle; look at the company you work for and ask yourself whether or not it has a policy of producing crap. Here’s a hint: if you work for a business that makes consumer products, there’s a really good chance that such a policy exists. (read more)
More Like a Conspiracy (Part 2)
So-called conservatives like to imbue market forces with the potency of a panacea. Limited government and market competition are the hallmark, companion solutions to our every economic woe, so they say; but here’s the truly insidious thing about the aforementioned policy of crap that I believe exists in a large segment of American business: it’s really a conspiracy of crap. (read more)
In the Interest of Fairness (Part 3)
To conclude my observations about the economy predicated on my appliance woes, I have to at least give credit to Whirlpool at this point for saying that they will replace my washer rather than force me to go through more attempted repairs. (read more)
Headless
You may rightly ask, what is Wasington Irving’s famous villain doing in a 4th of July parade? The real answer is that the school master (Jesse Merwin c.1809) of Kinderhook was supposedly the inspiration for Irving’s character Ichabod Crane. As such, the horseman makes periodic, incongruous appearances around here other than Halloween. (read more)
Stop Sharing the Hype – IP Laws Really Do Protect Artists
Let me say in the interest of full disclosure that my film gone Elvis has been blogged about by the organization Copyright Alliance, that I am one of CA’s members, and that I am on good terms with its director, Sandra Aistars. Immediately, these facts will suggest to some that I am a shill for this lobbying organization that many believe is a “front” for giant media conglomerates like the MPAA, NBC Universal, and Viacom. But here’s the thing about fronts and shills: they don’t disclose who they are or who they work for. (read more)
Gone Adolfas – A Tribute to My Friend and Mentor
Yesterday, a dear friend and former professor, Adolfas Mekas, died of heart complications at the age of 85. If you consider yourself an independent filmmaker and are not familiar with Adolfas and his avant-garde contemporaries, I recommend a Google search. (read more)
“Green Fields of France” Memorial Day Musings
I listen to this song all the time. For one thing, it reminds me of when my wife and I were still in college. She’s of Irish descent and a student of Irish literature and history, and this version of “Green Fields of France” by the Fureys was on a cassette tape comprised of mostly banned Irish rebellion songs. I also just plain like the song, so it’s on my frequently-played list of iTunes music. (read more)
